Lost Path
by Kaichi98
Summary: After meeting Misty in the middle of their adventure in the Hoenn League, Ash and the others found themselves in trouble at the Mirage Kingdom when a mysterious boy appeared out of nowhere with no recollection and an adventure to find his home begins... DISCLAIMER! I don't own CFV and Pokemon
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! This is a new story and I hope everyone will enjoy this new story! Without further ado, let's start!

Normal POV

As Ash and the others were trying to find and help Misty, they were landed nearby Mirage Kingdom as they quickly got off to help Misty. Team Rocket revealed themselves and recited their motto. Thinking they were out to get Pikachu again, Team Rocket corrected Misty and said that they were after Togepi. Meowth was held back just as he was about to attack as they turned to the man.

" Colonel Hansen!"

" Behold, this Togepi is for you!"

" See, I told you we wouldn't let you down, now didn't I, huh?"

Meowth was thrown onto James as they collapsed onto the floor.

" Your plan is a failure! I instructed you to bring me a Togepi, not these Trainers!"

" So you're the leader!"

" Yes, that is correct. I am the Mirage Kingdom leader, Colonel Hansen and I need a Togepi. You will hand over your Togepi and leave my kingdom at once."

" Togepi?! Not in ten million years!"

" In that case..."

Clicking his fingers, a Shedinja appeared from behind him.

" What's that?"

" Shedinja."

Shedinja's Halo turned upwards as it fired a Solar Beam at Ash and the others. However, a pillar of rainbow light suddenly landed in front of them as the Solar Beam was blocked by the light.

" What is that?!"

As the beam narrowed and disappeared completely, a blue haired boy appeared from the light as he collapsed immediately to the ground.

" Hey!"

Ash and the others ran to check on him.

" Is he alright?!"

" Seems like he's just exhausted."

" Where did he come from?"

" I don't know."

" What was that for anyway?!"

Getting over his own shock, Hansen just smirked as two Ninjask flew beside him and Misty shivered.

" Ninjask!"

" Misty, what's wrong?"

" She's never been a big fan of Bug Pokemon."

" Bugs really bug me!"

Both May and Max sweat dropped after that.

" Okay! Max, get Misty and the others away!"

" But Ash..."

" I'll take care of this!"

" I think you should take him with you too. We can't let him be in danger too. Mudkip, go!"

" Misty, leave."

" Right!"

May slung the boy's arm around her shoulders as Max supported them. They went off after that while Ash and Brock fought off Hansen and his Ninjask. Shedinja followed the three who ran away after that. As the three ran down a steep cliff, they ended up in a maze after some time of running.

" How long do we have to keep running?"

" Are you okay with him?"

" Yeah, he's unbelievably light for a boy."

" Speaking of light, what was that just now?"

" He appeared from it, didn't he?"

" And these clothes... They look so mysterious and royalty. I wonder where he's from."

The boy was dressed in a white shirt and white long sleeved coat with gold linings, white long pants with the same gold lining and white heel boots with the similar gold lining. There was a wide gold headpiece on his forehead with a crest on it and hanging below the crest was a rainbow crystal in the shape of a teardrop.

" There's a crest on his headpiece right here."

" Never seen that before..."

The boy suddenly groaned as May set him down on to lean on one of the bushes and the boy opened his eyes.

" Where am I...?"

" We're in somewhere called the 'Mirage Kingdom'. Do you remember anything?"

" Remember...?"

" Like, where you came from and how did you end up getting here?"

" Where I came from...?"

The boy looked up at the skies before looking back down and frowning.

" I don't remember... But it's somewhere far away... Where it's hard to reach..."

" Far away?"

" Do you at least know your name?"

" My name...? Aichi... Aichi Sendou..."

" At least he knows his name..."

" Now the only problem is our situation and why he doesn't remember anything."

Suddenly, Shedinja appeared as Misty shivered again.

" What is that?"

" Something not good!"

May took out her Pokedex after that.

 _" Shedinja, the Shed Pokemon. Shedinja possesses a hard, powerful body, giving it strong defences."_

" What do we do, May?"

" I don't know, you think of something."

" I'll protect Togepi! Corsola, I choose you!"

Corsola came out of the Pokeball.

" Spike Cannon, now!"

Spike Cannon was fired but it just bounced off Shedinja's body.

" It bounced right off!"

" That Shedinja's defences are strong."

Shedinja prepared another Solar Beam.

" Here comes another Solar Beam!"

They were too late to dodge as they were hit by the Solar Beam. Misty accidentally let go of Togepi due to the blast as it was flung towards a garden. Shedinja went off after that as Misty and the others got up.

" Is everyone okay?!"

" I'm fine."

" Me too."

" Hey, where's Aichi?"

" You think he might've gotten caught in the blast?"

" Oh no, we've got to find him and Togepi!"

" Right!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Princess Sara and Miranda were treating Togepi and Aichi, whom they'd found by the garden fountain. Aichi groaned as he woke up once more and got up while looking around.

" You're awake!"

" What a relief. Your injuries weren't that severe so you should be fine."

" Where am I?"

" You're in my room. I'm the Princess of Mirage Kingdom, Sara."

" And I'm her servant, Miranda."

" Oh. Hello there, I'm Aichi Sendou."

" Did you come from a kingdom as well? You look like you do judging from your clothes."

" Actually, I don't know... I don't even know how I got here... All I know was... My name, I guess..."

" That's terrible. Don't worry. I'll ask Father and maybe he'll know which royal family you came from."

" Uh, thank you..."

The Queen entered soon after once she was informed of Togepi as a few minutes later, the King followed behind. Soon after, Misty and the others found them and told them about how they were forced to come to the Mirage Kingdom and how Hansen said he needed a Togepi. Hansen was asked to get out of the King's presence just as Ash and Brock came in. They proceeded to the throne room after some introductions.

" I sincerely regret for causing you so much trouble. Regrettably, Hansen has been disrupting things all over the kingdom. And now it is apparent that he wants to steal your Togepi for his own needs."

" Please, we never had any intention of stealing anything from anyone, especially your Togepi. The instant Togepi saw you, I knew right away you were its trainer. And then, I realised that having a Togepi come here for me is too good to be true."

" Come here... for you...?"

" We must remove these youngsters from our Mirage Kingdom immediately."

" Yes."

" Prepare a ship."

" Yes, Your Majesty."

" But wait, please. Please, sire. But can you tell me what this is about?"

" I'll tell you everything while Miranda prepares the ship. Oh, but before we go... Father, do you recognize this crest on his crown? I'm afraid he's lost his memories and can't remember which kingdom he came from."

" Well, to be honest, I have never seen a crest like that before. So I'm not sure either."

" I see... I'm sorry."

" No, it's fine. I'll try to remember myself."

" Then let us head to where the ship is."

They were outside after that as Sara explained about Togepi.

" For centuries, within our kingdom, Togepi has been worshipped as our guardian Pokemon of liberty and peace. Ever since the beginning of our kingdom, it has been the duty of anyone ascending the throne to seek out and find a Togepi."

" Mission?"

" Mission indeed. And this is our Sara's Father, the King and his throne."

" So then, what happened to the King's Togepi?"

" Returned from whence it came. In our kingdom, it is Togepi's final departure that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, the right and duty of the current monarch to rule the land. And in that way, Togepi has proved that Sara's Father has ascended to the throne, to rule as the proper king of Mirage Kingdom."

" Togepi sure is one awesome Pokemon."

" Who'd known."

" This would've been accomplished in a ceremony to be held in this very temple tomorrow. But alas..."

" What ceremony?"

" The ceremony giving the right to succeed the throne to the one who seeks out Togepi."

" Sadly, I have not been successful in finding my Togepi in time for the appointed day."

" And so, without a Togepi, the ceremony cannot be performed."

" I see now, my Togepi was taken for the ceremony."

" It seems to me that Hansen is secretly plotting to use your Togepi so as to selfishly crown himself as the successor of the throne."

" I also share the belief that Hansen wants the power of this guardian Pokemon, Togepi, offer himself."

" Huh?!"

" Misty, so what kind of... power does Togepi have?"

While everyone remained in silence, Brock broke the silence by going on his knees and assuring the princess and got pulled on the ear by Misty again. Aichi just remained silent while watching them when he suddenly turned behind and walked to a pillar. He squatted down to pick something up after that.

" Aichi?"

Aichi got up as he opened his hand and a pendant was on it. He flipped it and on the back of it was the same crest on his headpiece. Ash and the others had went over to check it out as well.

" Hey, that's the same crest on your crown! Maybe we can find your kingdom after all!"

" I guess so..."

" But why was it here?"

" Who knows."

" Come. We can discuss about this later. Right now, we have to get all of you out of Mirage Kingdom before Hansen plots to steal your Togepi again."

" But isn't there anything I could help you with?"

" It's okay. I'll be fine."

" Sara..."

They were led to the blimp when wind picked up. Once it stopped, they turned back to the Mirage Kingdom and they saw another projection of it above the skies.

" Is that another Mirage Kingdom?" Aichi ask

" Unbelievable..."

" We were just inside of that temple!"

" So what's going on?"

" Pika?"

" It's a mirage."

" A mirage?"

Togepi stared at the mirage above the kingdom as it started to flail and floated up.

" Togepi!"

" Could it... be?"

" Yes. Somehow Togepi realised that beyond that mirage is 'Paradise'."

" Paradise?"

Before they could process anymore, Shedinja went in front of Togepi as Misty got it out of the way from another Solar Beam as the others dodged it as well. Hansen and Team Rocket came after that as Solar Beam was fired again while Pikachu used Thunderbolt to destroy it. The smoke cleared after awhile.

" Stop it, Hansen!"

" Shedinja, Solar Beam! Ninjask, Hyper Beam!"

Just as the three attacks were about to hit them, Togepi used Safeguard as a beam fired from the gates of the mirage and absorb the Safeguard into it and they disappeared after that. When they opened their eyes, they were in a forest.

" Miranda, where are we?"

" Seems like we're now inside Togepi Paradise deep within the mirage."

" But that doesn't look like Paradise at all."

Looking over to where Aichi was pointing to, they saw withered land beyond the forest they were in. Aichi touched a withered grass but it turned into nothingness at his touch.

" They're all dried up and dead..."

Togepi floated to a direction as they followed it until they found a group of exhausted and injured Togepi under a withered tree.

" Look at all of them... They look exhausted."

" Quick, May! Your Pokedex! Maybe we can learn something!"

" You're right!"

May took out her Pokedex.

" Togepi, the Spike Ball Pokemon. Togepi is filled with an energy that makes people happy when treated well. Togepi shares its energy with others but when it comes near human with impure heart, its energy completely disappears, leaving Togepi exhausted."

" An impure heart?"

" I know who it is! Hansen!"

" Hansen is right! It certainly must be because of Hansen's evil plotting that all these Togepi are in so much pain and sadness!"

Aichi took out the pendant as he made his way over to the Togepi.

" They just need a pure heart to recover, right?"

" Maybe for a little while to ease their pain."

" I might know something. So I want to try it out."

Facing the crystal on the pendant on the Togepi, Aichi closed his eyes as white aura spilled out around his body and the crystal glowed before white rays of energy came out from the crystal and was shared with the Togepi. After awhile, he stopped as the aura disappeared.

" That should do, right?"

The Togepi all seemed to be feeling much better as Aichi smiled.

" But what did you just-"

Brock was cut off as sudden flashes were in the sky.

" What was that?!"

" It feels like a time space distortion..."

" Time space distortion?"

Togepi floated to another direction as the pendant shone a little.

" It should be where Togepi's going right now. I think more of Hansen's evil desires are leaking out through that distortion. Come on!"

They started to follow Togepi as more of the greenery started to wither.

" How do you know so much about this?!"

" I'm not sure but I can feel it."

They stopped as they saw a portal with a projection of Hansen and Team Rocket. Togepi floated into the portal as Aichi ran after it while a purple crest appeared on his pendant. He also went through the portal while Ash was deflected back.

" Ash!"

" It's blocked!"

They gasped as Togepi came out of the portal from the Mirage Kingdom first while Aichi followed behind not long after.

" Look who dropped by!"

" I guess that time space stuff's the real deal!"

" It definitely was the real deal... We're back at the kingdom..." Aichi muttered

" Now, Ninjask. Capture Togepi."

Both Ninjask sent out Shadow Ball as Aichi quickly got Togepi out of the way.

" Not on my watch!"

" Hey, it's that twerp that appeared out of nowhere."

" Shedinja, Solar Beam!"

Aichi quickly dodged again as he looked at his pendant.

 _" Come on... Even if I can't remember, there must be something, anything!"_ Aichi thought

As if it heard his thoughts, the crest on the pendant changed to a red crest as Aichi's eyes widened. He winced as a throbbing pain hit his head.

" Once more, Shedinja! You too, Ninjask!"

Solar Beam and Hyper Beam were fired again as Aichi opened his eyes while still wincing in pain. He held out the pendant as a torrent of red flames disintegrated the attacks. Once the flames dispersed, Aichi panted as he fell to his knees.

" Toge~?"

" Grr... Shadow Ball, Ninjask!"

Shadow Ball was fired again as Aichi couldn't dodge it in time and both him and Togepi were hit before they fainted. Hansen walked over to them and held up Togepi in the air while laughing.

" Bravo, Colonel Hansen!"

" Exclusive thievery!"

" That throne's got your name on it!"

" Time to go!"

" Aye aye!"

Before they left, Hansen looked over to the still unconscious Aichi.

" Bring the boy back with us too."

" Yes sir!"

Jessie and James slung both of Aichi's arms around their shoulders as they started to walk back to the kingdom where Hansen began his overtaking of the throne.

" Your Majesty, the Togepi is now mine. Thus, you must leave the throne to me."

" Sorry, Colonel Hansen. That Togepi is not yours, it's Misty's."

" Not anymore. Togepi has chosen me and I refuse to accept any foolish arguments from anyone, even the King!"

The soldiers immediately surrounded the King and Queen as they were taken to the dungeons while Aichi was brought to any other room. After that, Hansen sent Team Rocket flying after he didn't have any use for them anymore before going to the temple to be acknowledged as the King of Mirage Kingdom. Soon, Ash and the others arrived at Mirage Kingdom while Hansen was trying to get Togepi to open the doors to Paradise.

" Well, well, we meet again."

" Give me back my Togepi!"

" You won't get away this time!"

" Oh please, Hansen! You know Togepi despise nothing more than this!"

Hansen didn't listen as he ordered an attack from Ninjask. May's Torchic was defeated in battle while Pikachu's attack succeeded in defeating the Ninjask. Shedinja shot out Solar Beam as a Safeguard protected them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aichi woke up as he got up while looking around.

" Where am I...? ... Hansen!"

Aichi got off the bed as he started to walk to the door. But when he opened it, two soldiers were guarding the door to the room he was in and stopped him from going out.

" Let me go!"

" Sorry but this is King Hansen's orders. Stay inside while you await his return."

" You don't understand! He's not the King here! That Togepi is someone else's!"

He was pushed back into the room as the doors were closed shut and he wasn't able to open the door anymore.

 _" I've got to find a way out of here!"_ Aichi thought

There was a tiny tapping sound as Aichi turned to the window to see a Togepi.

" Togepi?"

Aichi got the window to open as the Togepi jumped into his arms.

" Toge, togepi~!"

" Wait... You're that injured Paradise Togepi from before, aren't you?"

" Toge~!"

" You followed me here?"

" Toge, toge~!"

Togepi pointed out of the window as Aichi saw the Paradise Togepi coming out of the gate to Paradise and were helping Misty's Togepi with Metronome. Misty's Togepi then evolved into Togetic as they used Safeguard to deflect the Solar Beam again. Misty then sent out Gyrados and it used Flamethrower and defeated Shedinja while Brock and the others came after rescuing the King and Queen.

" They did it!"

" Toge, togepi~!"

Ash and the others then ran into the kingdom as Aichi heard the door opening a few minutes later. He smiled the moment he saw Ash and the others.

" Guys!"

" Aichi! You're alright!"

" Yeah, Hansen locked me in here for some reason but other than that, I'm just fine."

" But why is there a Togepi with you?"

" I'm not sure myself. I think it followed me here from the gate to Paradise."

" That can only mean that this Togepi chose you to be its trainer. I'm sure it was attracted to that pure heart of yours."

" I guess that must be it. Is that right, Togepi?"

" Toge, toge~!"

Soon, the sun started to set as Misty had to say goodbye to Togetic since it wanted to protect Paradise with the other Togepis and the doors to Paradise closed and the mirage disappeared.

" Misty, I give you my word, I will do my best to protect their Paradise, even without the crown."

" Thanks, Sara."

Sara nodded but that was when they heard another Togepi's call. A Togepi was tugging on Sara's dress as she squatted down.

" Togepi? Why didn't you go with your friends?"

" I get it. This must be the Togepi you were supposed to find, Princess Sara." Aichi said

" Is that true, Togepi?"

The Togepi leapt into her arms as they smiled.

" Togepi!"

" Toge, toge, pi~!"

" That's so great, Princess Sara!"

" Oh, Misty, thanks! Thanks to all of you!"

" Sara, now there's nothing stopping you from your crowning ceremony!"

" You're right, Miranda!"

" Toge, toge~!"

They stayed at the kingdom for the night as the next morning, Misty was getting ready to go off in the blimp.

" Well, I'm heading back to Cerulean."

" Please give your sisters my best."

" Yeah, right..."

" I wish I could've heard more about your gym."

" I know! Why don't you guys come and visit me in Cerulean City?"

" Cool!"

" May, I'm counting on you to win all your Pokemon Contests! Good luck!"

" Thanks, Misty!"

" Keep up the good work being the Gym Leader!"

" I will, and you take first place in the Hoenn League!"

" Of course! What else?"

Misty nodded as she looked over their shoulders. Ash and the others turned to the same direction as Aichi was playing with the river water with his Togepi.

" Make sure to look for his kingdom too so he can be safe, okay?"

" Just leave it to us. We'll make sure to bring him back to where he belongs safe and sound."

" I'm counting on everyone. Well, bye."

" Bye!"

" Bye, Aichi!"

" Oh, goodbye, Misty!"

" Toge, toge~!"

Misty smiled before boarding the blimp as it flew off and they waved.

" So now, the first priority on the list... Getting you back home."

" There's no need to. I'll find a way back myself."

" You have no memories and going alone like this will get a lot of attention."

" Well... That's true..."

" Come on. We'll head to the shops around the kingdom and find something better to wear as a temporary disguise for now."

" Y-Yeah... Thank you."

" No problem! Now, let's go!"

" Yeah!"

And their adventure continues...

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter! This might just be a two or three shot story so look forward to it! Thank you for reading and I'll see everyone in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, everyone! This is a new chapter! Chapter 2! I hope everyone will enjoy this new chapter! Without further ado, let's start!

Normal POV

Ash and the others were now in a forest and on the way to the next town where they look for Aichi's home.

" Hey, Aichi. How do you like your clothes and bag?"

" It's not bad. I feel more comfortable than the royal one."

" And there's even space for Togepi to sleep in that bag."

" Yeah. Togepi is sound asleep inside right now."

" Now, let's keep going."

" Thank you, everyone. I know I kept saying this but I really need to thank you guys again for going to find my home with me."

" No problem, Aichi."

" By the way, the only Pokemon you have right now is Togepi, right?"

" Yeah, it seems so. I mean, with my memories gone, this Pokemon stuff seems so unfamiliar to me..."

" Then let's try to get some for you! Come on, we'll teach you everything we know once we see a Pokemon!"

" Y-Yeah!"

They continued through the forest as they decided to camp out for the night when the sun started to set.

" Should I help to go gather branches for the fire?"

" Now, it's fine. You can just stay here and rest. We'll handle everything else."

" No, I insist. I don't want to be just sitting here and doing nothing. Or... Can I do the cooking tonight? I'm sure I can whip up something everyone might like."

" Are you sure?"

" Yes. Please? I really want to help."

" Alright then."

" Thank you!"

He scanned through the ingredients they had as he took a few vegetables and herbs. He started to prep them while also starting a fire up once the branches were gathered. He chopped up the ingredients and placed them into the boiling water before doing something else again.

" What are you cooking now?"

" These are Oran Berries, right? I heard they rejuvenate a Pokemon's strength and health. So I'm thinking of making something for the Pokemon with it."

" That's a great idea."

Togepi popped out of Aichi's bag as it looked around. It spotted Aichi as it toddled to him.

" Oh, are you awake, Togepi? Just wait for a bit. I'm cooking up some dinner. Just don't go too near to the fire."

" I think we'll bring it to play with Pikachu and the others. You can just concentrate on your cooking."

" Thank you, Brock."

Brock carried Togepi to Pikachu to distract it from looking for Aichi as Aichi continued his cooking. He stirred the stew he was making and tasted it before smiling.

" This should do."

He let the stew boil a little longer as he went to a smaller fire he prepared as he started to make the Pokemon food with the ingredients he prepared. After cooking and letting it cool, he started to mold the food into tiny bits and placed them evenly into each bowl for each Pokemon. Once he had completed it, he put out the fire for the stew and tried it again before nodding.

" Everyone! Dinner's ready!"

" Okay!"

They set the table as Aichi placed each plates of stew down and some bread slices before putting each Pokemon food bowls down. They released their Pokemon as they got ready to eat.

" This looks delicious!"

" And without further ado..."

" Let's eat!"

Ash and the others dug into the stew as they exclaimed happily.

" Delicious!"

" Wow! This is something I've never had before!"

" It might even rival my cooking!"

" It even goes well with the bread like how Brock's cooking always does!"

" This is great, Aichi! Thanks!"

" No problem."

" Toge, toge!"

They looked down to see Togepi reaching up to Aichi as he picked it up.

" You want me to feed you?"

" Toge, togepi!"

Aichi giggled as he picked up Togepi's bowl and started to feed it a little as it exclaimed happily as well.

" Toge!"

" Wow, the Pokemon seem to like the Pokemon food you made too!"

" Hey, Aichi. I am interested on the way you made it. Could I try some?"

" Sure."

Aichi took a piece as he handed it to Brock. Brock tried a bite as he gasped a little.

" This is... It's not just Oran Berries, you added something else into it, didn't you?"

" Hey, there's the color of the Oran Berries inside it too!"

" Actually, I added peach inside too. I used the base of normal Pokemon food for the first layer, the second layer, I added a thin layer of peach and the third layer, I added the Oran Berries. I mean, the Pokemon must've been tired after the battle at the Mirage Kingdom."

" Wow, you're not just a good cook, you're also a great Pokemon food maker!"

" And I thought you'd lost your memories."

" Well, I did do a bit of my own research while we were at the kingdom. We passed the market before coming here so I bought the ingredients there."

" That was fast. We didn't even notice. But what about the soup?"

" That's simple too. Instead of the usual salt and pepper seasoning, I used a bit of strong herbs to enhance the taste more than how salt and pepper can. Then I added a bit of lemon zest into it to balance the flavour. The rest of the ingredients are the potato and carrot."

" That's amazing..."

" It's the least I could do for everyone."

" It's as if you already knew how to cook. But I thought someone from a kingdom usually doesn't do those things so much."

" I don't know actually... Maybe this is what they call, even if your mind forgets, your body remembers sort of thing."

" Man, I can't wait to find out more about you. You just have so many mysteries surrounding you."

" I don't think that's so interesting... But I'm just glad everyone's happy."

" And we're happy that you're with us, Aichi. We're friends after all."

" Yeah."

" And now I'm psyched for tomorrow! Once we set off, we'll be sure to help you get more Pokemon friends so that you can learn more about them!"

" Thank you, Ash, and everyone here. Thank you so much... I think if it weren't for everyone, I would've been really lost in this place... I just hope I can get my memories back soon..."

" Don't worry. Take your time. There's no rush."

" Yeah. At least, we can still travel more on our journey together."

" Yeah!"

They chatted a little while longer before everyone drifted off to sleep for the night. The next few days passed as they taught Aichi on battling and catching a Pokemon.

" You learn fast, Aichi!"

" Thanks but I couldn't have caught my first Pokemon other than Togepi without Pikachu's help."

" Pika!"

" Now you have a total of three Pokemon, including Togepi!"

" But I don't think I'll ever ask Togepi to battle, I mean, it's so small and I don't know whether it can fight well."

" Well, you saw what a Togepi can do in Mirage Kingdom."

" Yeah but..."

" Toge, togepi~"

" I guess it's because Togepi is just like a baby to you, huh."

" Yeah. I can't really bear to see it getting hurt."

" That's understandable."

" Toge, toge~"

Soon, they arrived at a town that looked to be preparing for a festival.

" Woah! Check out all the decorations!"

" Yeah! They're beautiful!"

" I wonder what they're preparing for."

" My! Are you kids new here?" A woman ask

" Yeah, we're travelling around."

" Ah, yes. I see. You're curious about this festival, aren't you?"

" Yeah!"

" This is called the Dragon Festival. It's a festival dedicated to Dragon type Pokemon. Long ago, our town had always been terrorized by a group of bandit Pokemon but the kind hearted Dragon types saved us and up until now, it'd been peaceful ever since."

" We can tell since this town has so many Dragon type Pokemon."

" Oh, I know. We have a special performance tonight by a guest that volunteered to perform for this festival. If you'd, like, you can stay and watch it and enjoy your time at the festival."

" Really?!"

" Hey, guys. Want to go check it out?"

" Yeah!"

" Thank you for telling us, ma'am."

" Oh, it's my pleasure. I'm always happy to help travellers."

The woman walked off as they explored the festival a little while looking for the performance venue.

" Wow! There's so many fun things we can do here!"

" Yeah."

" Pika~"

" Is that it?"

They looked over to a poster Aichi was pointing to as they looked for the location.

" Seems like it's just up ahead."

" Then let's go! It's starting soon!"

" Yeah."

They headed to a tent as they took a seat.

" We were lucky. We got front row seats."

" Yeah!"

They waited a few more minutes as the lights turned off and the performance began. Aichi took Togepi out in the middle after it woke up. Many of the townspeople had their own performance as they clapped for them.

" Wow! This is wonderful!"

" Yeah!"

" And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! Our special guest will now come up the stage!"

As soon as the announcer left, the stage burst into crimson flames. The flames soon disappeared as a man was now standing on stage with a dragon mask on.

" Talk about an entrance. I wonder where those flames came from."

" It's starting."

 _" Tsuyo-sa o motometa mujaki-sa ga naze_

 _Hagayui kizuna o azawarau yō ni_

 _Hanarete shimatta kokoro wa ima mo_

 _Kienai itami o kakushimotta mama_

 _Doko de machigatta nodarou_

 _Hikikaesenai yume no tochū de_

 _Kotae wa itsu ka wakaru-sa_

 _Kachi tsudzukeru koto de shōmei shiyou_

 _Kōkai o nuguu tame ni_

 _Tsuranuke, mō nan karamo nidoto nige wa shinai"_

There were cheering and clapping after that.

" Wow... That was amazing..."

" Pika..."

" Yeah, don't you agree, Aichi?... Aichi?"

Aichi was just staring at the man as the man also spotted him. The man walked over to him as he took out a blue flower and held it out to Aichi.

" O-Oh... Uh... Thanks."

Aichi took the flower and while he was distracted by it, the man suddenly leaned in to kiss his cheek as it stunned Ash and the others. The man released the kiss and disappeared once again in flames.

" ... What just happened?"

" Toge, togepi~"

The performance ended as they left the tent.

" That was fun!"

" Yeah. I don't think he really recovered yet though."

Aichi was still staring at the flower as he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Ash and the others staring.

" Something wrong?"

" Nothing. You just seem so distracted by what happened just now."

" ... I guess I am. Don't worry about me, let's continue."

They started walking again as they enjoyed the festival before going off for their journey again.

" So where did you keep that flower in the end?"

" I kept it in a water vase in my bag. The top can be covered and they said it preserves the flower."

" I see."

" Although, that was out of nowhere... That guy just suddenly came up and kissed you. And yet, you felt nothing?"

" I don't know, really... I just felt some nostalgia wave going over me when he did that."

" But do you know him?"

" I don't know for sure... I just know that it feels familiar..."

" Maybe that guy really knows something about your memories. Let's look for him. The townspeople said that they saw him leaving already. If we find him, I'm sure we can get your memories back."

" I hope so..."

" Well, we can't keep thinking about that! Let's have a Pokemon battle, Aichi!"

" So sudden?! B-But I..."

" Don't worry about it, you'll be fine!"

" W-Well, alright."

They found an open area in the forest as they started a three on three battle.

" Grovyle, I choose you!"

" Alright... Go, Spinda!"

Both released their Pokemon as Aichi checked the Pokedex he borrowed from May.

" Let's take this slow and easy for now. Treecko, use Tackle!"

" Spinda, dodge it!"

Spinda spun to its left as it dodged Treecko's attack.

" Use Tackle too, Spinda!"

Spinda immediately tackled Treecko.

" Now we're getting somewhere! Treecko, use Bullet Seed!"

" Spinda, use Copycat!"

" Copycat?!"

Spinda also fired a Bullet Seed as smoke build up.

" Spinda used a Grass type move!"

" Copycat is a move that allows Spinda to copy an opponent's previous move."

" Spinda, fire a Psybeam into the smoke!"

Spinda fired the Psybeam as the smoke emitted a bright light that blinded Treecko.

" Treecko!"

" Feint Attack!"

The attack landed as Treecko fainted.

" He did it!"

" Treecko, return! That was a nice job, Aichi! Now for my second Pokemon! Go, Taillow!"

" Thank you, Spinda. Have a good rest. My next one... Feebas!"

Both Pokemon were released after that.

" Oh right... He caught that... Uh... Taillow, use Quick Attack!"

" Feebas, use Flail!"

Feebas flailed a little but was hit by Taillow's Quick Attack in the end and fainted.

" Feebas still isn't strong enough in that form."

" I feel bad..."

" Feebas, are you alright?"

Feebas just nodded.

" I'm sorry. Have a good rest, Feebas."

" Are you getting the hang of it?"

" Yeah."

" Then let's go on to our last Pokemon! Taillow, return! Pikachu, it's your turn!"

" Pika!"

" Uh... Are you sure you want to battle, Togepi?"

" Toge, togepi~"

" A-Alright then..."

Aichi placed Togepi down as it toddled to the field.

" Pikachu, use Thundershock! Uh, maybe just a tiny spark!"

" P-Pika..."

" T-Togepi, dodge it!"

Togepi was a little late to dodge as it hit the floor the moment the spark hit.

" Togepi!"

" Toge~"

Lifting up its arms, it started to swing it in a motion as its hands glowed.

" That's Metronome!"

Once Togepi stopped swinging its arms, a bunch of rocks appeared above Pikachu.

" That's Rock Tomb!"

" Pikachu, dodge it!"

But it was too late as Pikachu was hit by the rocks and it fainted.

" Pikachu!"

" I'm so sorry! Come on, Togepi!"

Aichi carried Togepi as he ran over to check on Pikachu.

" Is he alright?"

" Don't worry about it, Aichi."

Pikachu woke up after that.

" See? You okay, Pikachu?"

" Pika!"

" I'm so relieved!"

" Toge, togepi~"

Brock and the others ran to them as well when a giant hand suddenly grabbed Aichi and Togepi. Both got pulled into the air after that.

" Aichi! Togepi!"

" Who's doing that?!"

They heard laughter as they saw the Team Rocket Balloon.

" Team Rocket!"

Team Rocket said their motto after that.

" Give Aichi and Togepi back!"

" No can do! We're going to solve this mystery ourselves right after we hand him over to the Boss!"

" You're not going to get away! Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

" Seviper, Poison Tail!"

Jessie threw her Pokeball as Seviper countered Pikachu's Iron Tail.

" You alright, Pikachu?!"

" Pika!"

" We've got to be careful or we might hit Aichi and Togepi!"

" Yeah but..."

There was rustling in the bushes as someone suddenly jumped onto the machine grabbing onto Aichi.

" Who's that?!"

" Doesn't that look a lot like..."

" ... That guy from the festival!"

" I'm going to get you out of here, so hang on."

" Seviper, stop him!"

Seviper used Poison Tail again as the man dodged and punched it back to the balloon. He quickly forced open the arm as he carried Aichi and jumped back down to the ground.

" What are you waiting for?! Hurry up!"

" R-Right! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's Thunderbolt sent Team Rocket blasting off as they heaved a sigh of relief. Aichi looked up at his saviour after that.

" Thank you..."

" You don't have to thank me, Aichi."

" How do you know my name?"

" I'm here to bring you back home."

" Home?"

The man let him down as Ash and the others ran towards them.

" Aichi, are you alright?!"

" Yeah, I'm fine. It's thanks to him."

" The way you saved Aichi back there, that was awesome!"

" I do my own training."

" So who are you anyway?"

" He said he came to bring me home."

" So you _do_ know Aichi!"

" Yeah, I was traveling around looking for him."

" But what happened?"

" There's evil lurking around here and it came to take Aichi with it. We were back at the palace when it suddenly appeared. Aichi's powers kicked in to protect himself and he disappeared without a trace. But we didn't get much relief when that evil said that he took away his memories before he disappeared. That's why I came to search for him. We were lucky we met at the festival."

" Yeah, it was. Who knew we'd be so lucky?"

" I was following you guys after I saw you guys coming out from the town and then this happened. I'm glad you're safe, Aichi."

" Y-Yeah."

" So what's your name?"

" I'm Toshiki Kai. You have my gratitude for keeping Aichi safe this whole time."

" I'm Ash and this is my partner, Pikachu."

" Pika!"

" I'm May and this is my younger brother, Max."

" And I'm Brock."

" It's nice to meet everyone. It's been a short time but I really am grateful for your help. Now, we have to leave. I need to bring Aichi back home and do something about his stolen memories."

" Maybe we can help."

" No, it's fine. We've troubled you guys enough. Aichi, let's go."

" Um... I..."

" What's wrong?"

" I want them to follow us, please? It's the least we can do since they've been helping me this whole time. And I think I'll feel more... assured."

" Is it because of your memory loss that you're unsure of my words?"

Aichi just turned away as Kai sighed.

" Alright, if this makes you happy then they can come with us."

" Thank you!" Aichi smiled

" Now follow me."

They followed behind Kai as they arrived at another open space with stone carvings.

" That's weird. I wonder when this was even here."

" Don't worry about the small details. This is a method of teleportation to our kingdom. We like to be secretive, especially when there's evil lurking. Just don't panic."

Kai went to a stone slab and arranged the carvings to form into a shape as the ground glowed and they were teleported. When they opened their eyes, they were inside a room with radiant white color shining around it.

" We're here."

" This place is..."

" Inside our palace. Let's go."

Kai opened the doors as they saw someone standing outside.

" Kai. You found Aichi?"

" Yeah. I'm bringing him back to his room but could you lead his friends to the guest rooms?"

" Sure. You need anything else?"

" Not yet but maybe a mini celebration in the ballroom tonight. It's already good that we found him."

" Yeah, it is. Now, the four of you can follow me. I'll lead you to your rooms."

" Right."

" We'll see each other again, right?"

" You will, Aichi. I just need to get you adjusted to here again."

" Alright..."

Aichi waved to Ash and the others before following Kai to his room. They soon arrived as Kai opened the door and Aichi was amazed by the interior.

" Wow!"

" Why are you so amazed? This is your own room."

" I... I've never seen such a beautiful room..."

" You have, Aichi. You just need to remember."

" Remember... I can't..."

" It's okay. Take your time. I'll always wait for you."

" Kai... What is... our relationship?"

" Why do you ask?"

" You kissed me earlier back at the festival..."

" Festival...? O-Oh, that. You're talking about my kiss? I thought it was obvious."

" I just want to know..."

Kai smiled a little as he carefully circled his arms around Aichi's waist.

" We're lovers, Aichi. Me and you. We were set to marry each other before you disappeared."

" Marry?"

Togepi looked up at Kai as it suddenly flailed.

" Toge, toge! Toge, togepi!"

" Togepi, is something wrong? You sound anxious."

" Toge, toge! Toge, togepi!"

" Please calm down, Togepi. I won't understand your panic. Slow down and tell me what's wrong."

" Toge, toge!"

It pointed to Kai as it continued its panic talk.

" So you got one of those Pokemon too. But I don't think this one likes me."

" Maybe its just uncomfortable but this is the first time it's panicking so much."

" You had a battle just now after all. Maybe its just tired. Lay it down on the bed."

" Yeah... Togepi, have a rest, alright?"

Aichi went to the bed as Togepi latched onto his chest when he was about to lay it down.

" Togepi?"

" Toge, toge, togepi!"

" Something's scaring you...?"

That was when Aichi remembered something and looked around.

" What's wrong, Aichi?"

" Kai, this place... I don't know... I don't exactly feel comfortable."

" Why do you say that?"

" Togepi loves people with pure heart. If it reacted to you with so much panic means..."

" I don't have a pure heart? Aichi, do you really believe it or me?"

" I... I don't know... But Togepi is..."

" Its tired, Aichi. Don't worry. I'm sure it'll understand that my love for you is pure enough."

" Kai..."

" Now, it's time for you to change for the ball. Put it down and I can help you change."

" Y-Yeah..."

Aichi hesitated but then finally placed Togepi down to let it sleep.

" Rest well, Togepi. I'll be back soon."

" Now, Aichi. Let's give you a nice shower and change you out of these clothes."

" I have my other clothes in my bag."

" Sure. We'll use that."

Aichi took out the royal clothes he was wearing before as Kai led him to the bathroom to let him shower. Once he came out from the shower, Kai helped to dry his hair and adjust his clothes. There was a knock on the door after that as the same girl from before entered.

" Kai, the ballroom is ready. Is Aichi ready too?"

" Yeah. Ready, Aichi?"

" Y-Yeah..."

Kai held out an arm as Aichi linked his arm and both walked out of the room. They soon arrived in front of doors to the ballroom as the door opened. Aichi flinched at the amount of people standing in the ballroom.

" It's Aichi!"

" He's back!"

" Aichi, come on. Greet them. They're our friends."

" H-Hello there..."

There were cheering as the ballroom party started. Aichi looked around at the unfamiliar faces as he gripped Kai's arm tighter.

" Relax. You'll get used to it soon."

" Yeah..."

He finally spotted Ash and the others as he smiled and let go of Kai to run over to them.

" Ash, May, Max, Brock!"

" Aichi!"

" You guys look great!"

" Yeah. We had to borrow their clothes though. Hope it's not too much trouble."

" No, it's fine. I'm just glad to see you guys."

" Where's Togepi?"

" It's taking a rest in my room."

" It must've been tired from battling."

" Yeah, I think so."

The music started to change as Kai approached them and held out a hand to Aichi.

" Shall we?"

" S-Sure..."

Aichi took his hand as they started dancing to the music. In the middle, Aichi suddenly saw a dark aura appeared behind Kai's head as his eyes widened. He quickly let Kai go after that as he saw the aura was gone.

" What's wrong, Aichi?"

" N-No, it's nothing... I-I think I need a break... I'll be back soon."

" Sure. Call me if you feel unwell."

" Y-Yeah..."

Kai kissed Aichi's cheek just before Aichi could go and Aichi quickly walked out of the ballroom as he entered his room again and locked the door.

 _" For a second there, I felt a feeling of dread... As if I got scared of something..."_ Aichi thought

He touched the cheek where Kai had kissed as he remembered what he did at the festival.

" It's different... The Kai at the festival had a warm kiss... This Kai's kiss feels too cold..." Aichi muttered

 _" Or maybe he's feeling unwell and I'm just thinking too much?"_ Aichi thought

Aichi thought about it a little longer as he remembered the flower Kai gave and took it out from his bag. He took of the top of the vase as he removed the flower and calmed down. He sat down at the bed while continuing to look at the flower as a petal suddenly fell from the flower. Aichi's eyes followed the fallen petal as he picked it up and saw something.

" A shape drawn on this flower?"

He inspected the rest of the petals of the flower and gasped.

" This flower..."

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter! Thank you for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll see everyone in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everyone! This is a new chapter! Chapter 3! I hope everyone will enjoy this new chapter! Without further ado, let's start!

Normal POV

Aichi had plucked out all the petals after seeing the drawings as he gasped again.

" This shape... From before?"

Aichi rearranged the shape to the same symbol on the stone slab but nothing happened.

" It's similar but why isn't it working?"

 _" What am I even thinking...? Will this really work?"_ Aichi thought

Aichi thought about the symbol as he remembered his pendant. He took out the pendant in the bag as he looked at the crest on it while comparing it to the symbol.

" It looks similar but reversed?"

He jumped when there was a sudden knock on the door as he turned to it.

" Y-Yes?!"

" I came to check on you, Aichi. Why did you lock the door?"

" I-I didn't want to be interrupted! I-I needed a little bit of rest! Don't worry about me, Kai! I'll be back in the ballroom soon!"

" Alright then."

He heard Kai's footsteps going away from the door as he heaved a sigh of relief. He then started to rearrange the symbol to match the crest as the symbol started to glow upon having the last piece fitted in. A projection came up as Aichi gasped.

" Kai?!"

" Aichi! You finally contacted me!"

" W-Wait a minute! ... Why are you here?! I thought... You went back to the ballroom..."

" What are you saying? What ballroom, Aichi?!"

" You brought me back home, didn't you?"

" Home? Aichi, don't tell me... You followed a fake!"

" Fake?"

" Aichi... So you did lose your memories..."

" Yes, I did... You said you'd try to make me remember..."

" Aichi, staying there won't help you remember! You're falling into a dangerous trap! Get out of there!"

" Wha..."

" Listen to me carefully, Aichi. You're not from this world and neither am I. I followed you here because you disappeared when Void tried to capture you."

" Void...?"

" It's an evil entity capable of shape shifting. It told me it erased your memories when you had started your escape, Aichi... I was hoping it wasn't true."

" Kai..."

" That's why when I saw you back at the festival, I was really happy. I was waiting for you outside the tent but I guess Void lured the townspeoples' eyes to believe that I had already left. Please, Aichi, you've got to believe me. This is all Void's plan! You're going to fall into his hands at this rate!"

" But how do I..."

" Please, Aichi! Trust me! I mean, I'm sure you've felt something off at some point of time!"

" Something off... Togepi!"

Aichi quickly checked on Togepi as he felt a fever coming in.

" No... It's all my fault..."

" Aichi, that's..."

" It's a Togepi I healed back at a Kingdom called the Mirage Kingdom. Togepi can sense a pure heart but when it comes into contact with an evil heart..."

" Calm down, Aichi. Listen to me. You can heal it. I know you can do it."

" You really believe in me...?"

" Yeah. Your heart has always been pure, Aichi. That's why it liked you so much, just like how I was attracted to you."

Aichi's eyes widened a little as he felt a rush of emotion within him, something that he never felt for the 'Kai' who'd brought him to the palace...

" Thank you, Kai... I'll try."

Kai nodded as Aichi held out his pendant again while remembering what he did back at Paradise. The pendant radiated out a glow from the aura that surrounded his body as Togepi quickly recovered and it opened its eyes.

" Toge?"

" Togepi!"

" Toge, togepi!"

" I'm so relieved! You're alright now, Togepi!"

" See, Aichi? You could do it."

" Yeah. So how am I going to get out of here?"

" Where did you enter this supposed place you're in now?"

" There was a sort of monument in the forest and then the fake Kai you were talking about had rotated the exact symbol on this flower but it was a little more reversed. That was why I couldn't get the symbol on this flower to work."

" That's the mark Void uses after all. You were lucky to have the pendant with you. Don't worry, once I find the monument, I'll try to get in to help you as much as I can."

The projection started to waver after that.

" Wait, don't leave!"

" Don't be scared, Aichi. Calm yourself. Pretend nothing is happening and try to act as normal as possible while escaping. I believe in you, Aichi. I know we'll reunite somehow. The symbol on the flower won't last any longer, so... We can't talk to each other like this anymore for now. Stay safe, Aichi. Wait for me."

" Yeah... I'll definitely find a way out of here and see you again."

" Yeah."

The projection cut off as the glow on the flower disappeared.

" Toge?"

" Come on, Togepi. We need to get back and tell Ash and the others. We need to get out of here together."

Aichi carried Togepi as he unlocked the door and breathed out.

" You're sticking close to me for now. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."

" Toge, togepi!"

Aichi made a small smile as he opened the door and they headed back to the ballroom. He entered the ballroom as he immediately found Ash and the others.

" Hey, guys."

" Aichi, you were gone for quite awhile. We got worried."

" Oh, I went back to rest and Togepi wanted to come along too."

" Seems like it got enough rest."

" Toge, togepi!"

Aichi looked around as he saw 'Kai' talking to someone.

" Aichi?"

" Listen, guys. Don't panic or make a scene. I think we're in some sort of trap." Aichi whispered

" What? Why do you think that?"

" At first, I didn't want to believe it either but Togepi can sense an evil heart and back in the room, it didn't like the Kai here one bit."

" What do you mean by that Kai?"

" It's a shapeshifter. It's the evil taking on Kai's form. The real Kai, the one that had given me the flower had been waiting backstage the whole time but we didn't know because the townspeople though that the fake Kai was the real Kai."

" How do you know?"

" In the petals on the flower the real Kai gave me was the shape of the same crest on my pendant, it activated and I was able to talk to the real Kai and realise our situation."

" Then what are we going to do now?"

" We need to act as normal as we can and at the same time, find a way out of here."

" What about the monument from before?"

" I was thinking the same thing. Hurry, pack up and wait for me there. I'll distract him."

" And leave you alone?"

" I'll be fine. Now hurry."

" Right."

Ash and the others quickly left the ballroom as 'Kai' approached Aichi again.

" Hey, where are they going?"

" Oh, they said they needed some rest but they did say the ballroom was fun."

" I see."

" Thank you for letting them stay, Kai."

" No problem. I got you a drink in case you got thirsty, here."

Aichi took the glass as he looked at it a little before smiling to 'Kai'.

" Thank you."

" A toast to your return."

" Yes."

They drank the drink as Aichi suddenly let go of his glass and it shattered on the ground. Aichi held his head as he tried to keep conscious.

" Toge?"

" No... What did you do...?"

" Aichi, you sweet gullible little angel. You really think I didn't know of your plan? You're not as smart without your memories now are you?"

" How did you..."

" You really think I'd left? I was listening in on your conversation. It was too sweet to not make me puke."

" So you are a fake...!"

" And you realised it too little too late. Goodnight for now, Aichi."

Aichi felt his vision turning black as he tried hard to stay awake. Togepi looked up at Aichi as it started to use Metronome.

" Wha?! Stop that immediately!"

Black mist started to attack as Aichi gasped.

" Togepi..."

As Togepi finished its Metronome, both were teleported as 'Kai' clicked his tongue.

" Find them!"

" Yes, sir!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Aichi and Togepi appeared back in the room as Aichi went to grab his bag.

" Thank you, Togepi... Don't worry, I can still go on..."

Aichi slowly opened the door as he looked around and used the wall for support. He quickly made his way to the monument as he opened the door and saw Ash and the others inside.

" Aichi!"

" Guys..."

Ash and Brock quickly went to support him when they saw him collapsing.

" Hey, you alright?!"

" Yeah... He gave me some sort of sleeping medicine... We've got to hurry..."

" But..."

" Hurry... It won't be long before they find us..."

" Right!"

They helped Aichi to the stone slab with the symbol as Aichi started to turn the stone. That was when Aichi sensed something as they were hit by black mist. Aichi accidentally dropped Togepi from the hit as his Pokeballs also fell out.

" Togepi...!"

" It's here!"

'Kai' appeared from black mist as he chuckled.

" Come, Aichi."

Black mist surrounded and bound Aichi as he floated beside 'Kai'.

" Aichi!"

" You're not going anywhere, Aichi. You're staying here with me."

" Let him go right now!"

" I was hoping he didn't run into you inconveniet humans. Now look what you've done. You've tarnished our relationship."

" There's nothing between you and Aichi! You're just a fake trying to use him!"

" How impudent. If only you knew his true identity, then you'll know why he's so important to me."

" True identity?"

" We don't care! We're not going out of here without Aichi! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu released its Thunderbolt as black mist blocked it.

" Oh no!"

Togepi got up at that time and saw the fallen Pokeballs as it quickly clicked them. Spinda and Feebas were released from them after that. Togepi explained the situation as the three nodded. Psychic released Aichi from the black mist as he fell.

" What?!"

" That's Aichi's Spinda!"

" No, don't...! It's too dangerous... Go back into your Pokeballs...!"

Feebas bounced as it tackled 'Kai' down.

" Feebas, please...!"

" Come on, we've gotta help him!"

" Right!"

Black mist blew around the room as Ash and the others got blown back along with Togepi and Spinda.

" Togepi...! Spinda...!"

" Now, it's only you left, you feeble creature."

" Feebas, run away...! Please...!"

Feebas shook its head as a glow suddenly surrounded it. They all gasped as Feebas grew.

" It's evolving!"

Milotic appeared from the glow after that.

" Feebas evolved into Milotic!"

" Milotic?!"

May took out her Pokedex after that.

 _" Milotic, the Tender Pokemon. Milotic is able to soften human anger and hatred by emitting soothing frequencies from its body."_

" That's so cool..."

" Milotic..."

Milotic used its tail to lift Aichi up onto its back as it faced an angered 'Kai'.

" Impudent creature!"

" Milotic, look out...!"

Milotic fired out a Hydro Pump as 'Kai' was shot out of the room and he hit the wall.

" Hydro Pump..."

" Too cool..."

" Milotic, you saved me..."

Milotic nodded as Aichi smiled.

" Please, bring me over to the stone..."

Milotic nodded as it went to the stone and Aichi continued to arrange the symbol. Togepi and Spinda also climbed onto Milotic's back to get to Aichi.

" Just a little more..."

Just as the stone matched, it started to glow as the room started to have cracks.

" Now what?!"

The cracks shattered as a shadow was seen walking in through the smoke and Aichi gasped. Kai came out of the smoke while panting as he saw Aichi.

" Aichi!"

Kai ran over to him and hugged him as Aichi returned it.

" Kai... You're the real Kai, right...?"

" Yeah, you bet I am. Don't worry, I'm here now. It took me long enough to weaken the barrier but I'm here to protect you now."

" I'm so glad... You're finally here..."

Aichi's eyes slowly drooped close from the exhaustion from resisting the sleep medicine as Kai held him tightly.

" Toshiki Kai!"

They lifted up their heads to look at the fake 'Kai'.

" You! Time and again you interrupt my plans! I won't let you take him away from me! Not when I'm this close to obtaining him!"

" Well, we're getting away and there's nothing you can do about it."

Kai took Aichi's pendant as the same red crest appeared and the torrent of crimson flames fired at the fake 'Kai'.

" Don't worry, it won't kill you, I'm sure. Come on."

" R-Right..."

They went through the crack after returning Aichi's Pokemon and May carried Togepi out as Kai took out a card and threw it.

" Dragonic Overlord!"

A giant red dragon appeared from the card and roared.

" Get on!"

Overlord let them climb on his hands as he flew off deeper into the forest. Once they were out of range from the crack, Overlord let them down as he reverted back to a card and Kai caught it. He put the card back into his pocket as he laid Aichi down on the grass.

" Thanks for the save back there."

" No problem. I only found that place thanks to Aichi."

" But that fake you back there sure wasn't easy to take down."

" Of course not. It's an entity with vast power. It's called Void. I doubt you guys could've gotten away unharmed if I didn't make it in time when Aichi activated the stone."

" But Aichi did it differently..."

" The symbol Void arranged was to prevent someone like me to enter easily. The one that Aichi did was the real one. By arranging the real symbol, I could break down the barrier and enter."

" No wonder he kept sticking by us. He must've realised at some point we were following a fake."

" No, he didn't know the truth until he found the symbol I left in the flower I gave him. He was unconsciously realising something off with the place because Aichi himself can't tolerate dark energy. That's something called when your mind forgets, your body remembers."

" Hey, Aichi said that same phrase awhile back."

" He did?"

" Yeah. He was cooking up dinner for us as thanks and he said that 'when your mind forgets, your body remembers'. So he learned it from you."

" Yeah... I repeat that phrase quite a few times to him when he got afraid of losing his memories one day. To think it helped so much..."

" Why?"

" We've been at war with Void for quite a long time. I think it's been four to five years already."

" War?!"

" It's an on and off war. Plannings and meetings here and there. Fighting here and there. Even though it's something Aichi hated... He never liked war and always compromised with enemies to become friends. However, Void was an example on an enemy that doesn't give up."

" And Aichi..."

" He was almost captured. His powers kicked in when Void started erasing his memories and he disappeared to here."

" So then..."

" I need to bring him to his real home and help him to remember. Once he wakes up, we're leaving."

" But what about his Pokemon?"

" I think it's best to release them back to where they came from. They won't be familiar to where we're going back to so here is safer."

" Toge?"

" Why don't you ask Aichi for his own opinion? I think it's better than just bringing him back home when he might not want to yet."

" ... I'll think about it."

" And since we're now in a safer area, let's set up camp. We can wait for him to wake up too."

" Yeah."

" Oh, right... I brought someone along with me but I think he's lost."

" With a dragon that big just now, I think he would've seen it, whoever your friend is."

" You're right."

Ash and the others set up camp after that while Kai waited for Aichi to wake up after laying his head on his lap while stroking his head occasionally with Togepi also sitting on his lap. A few hours later, Aichi woke up as he looked up at Kai and smiled.

" Hey, sleepyhead. You're finally awake."

" Kai..."

" How are you feeling?"

" Much better. The sleeping medicine was very effective though... How long was I out for?"

" About... Three hours?"

" T-Three hours?! But Ash and the others..."

" They went to gather some things for dinner."

" I see..."

" Listen, Aichi."

" Yeah?"

" Do you want to stay in this world? Or do you want to go back to your real home with me?"

" And leave Togepi and the others too?"

" This is their real environment. Bringing them over might not benefit them..."

Kai patted Togepi's head as Aichi sat up.

" I'd do anything that you want, Aichi. I won't force you to go back with me yet."

" Kai... I do want to stay here a little while longer. I went on a few journeys with Ash and the others and it felt... really enjoyable. I want to know more about this world and its inhabitants. The people and Pokemon. I know this is a selfish request, Kai, but... Please let me stay."

" Alright, Aichi. You can stay."

Aichi smiled brighter.

" On one condition, I'll stay with you too. I won't let you be alone again. Not until you regain your memories."

" You talked about it. What was I like before I lost my memories? I want to know."

" Well... In a few words, you are kind and strong. You respect your opponents no matter who they are and... Most of all, you're my light. No, not just mine... Our friends back home, you are also their light."

" Me?"

Kai nodded.

" You helped to drag us out from the darkness when we needed it the most. You saved us all, Aichi. So now, I'm going to help you too."

" Thank you, Kai."

Kai nodded as he slowly inched closer to Aichi. Their eyes started to close as their lips almost brushed each other when a voice suddenly called out.

" There you are!"

They immediately broke apart as Kai turned in annoyance to the familiar voice. The boy gulped at Kai's expression.

" Guess I ruined the moment, huh..."

" You bet you did. What took you so long, Chrono?"

" It's not my fault! This forest is huge! And I can't possibly remember where Overlord had landed with all these trees!"

" Be glad you even found us."

" H-He's..."

" Oh right. He's Chrono Shindou. He's about the same age as Ash and the others."

" Oh..."

" So you did lose your memories..."

" Yeah."

" Since we found him, why aren't we heading back to Cray?"

" I'm letting Aichi stay here. He wants to. He has friends here too so saying goodbye so quickly might be a little hard for him." Kai explained, patting Aichi's head

" I see... Then I should join too. I mean, I did promise that we'll find and protect him together."

" Yeah, I guess so."

" So you're one of my friends too?"

" Yeah. You have even more friends waiting for you back at home but I'll send them a quick letter to inform them about your safety and tell them about you staying here too."

" Thank you..."

" No problem. Besides, you helped us far more than you would've imagined."

" Oh... I see..."

" Don't worry about it."

" Yeah."

" Dran."

A small blue dragon emerged from a portal after that.

" You heard everything, right?"

" Uh huh!"

" So tell the others our message. Don't worry. We'll make sure to take good care of him together."

" Right, Chrono!"

Dran jumped back into the portal after that and the portal closed up. At that time, Ash and the others returned after gathering what they needed for preparing dinner.

" Aichi, you're awake!"

" Yeah. I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

" It's fine."

" So, is that guy the one Kai said about?"

" Yeah. So you guys know each other already, Kai?"

" I think they heard my name thanks to Void. This is Chrono Shindou, one of our friends."

" I'm Ash and this is my partner, Pikachu!"

" Pika!"

" I'm May and this is my little brother, Max."

" And I'm Brock."

" Nice to meet you guys."

" So, Aichi... Are you going back home?"

" No, not yet. Kai and Chrono promised to stay with me here to journey with you guys more."

" That's great!"

" Uh huh."

" But what are you guys going to do here? You don't have Pokemon like Aichi, do you?"

" Uh..."

Kai and Chrono looked at each other before sweat dropping.

" Oh yeah... We need to blend in..."

" Kai, I want to help catch your first Pokemon!"

" H-Hold on, I don't really know about these stuff."

" You already are familiar with Togepi after all."

" Toge, togepi!"

" See? Even Togepi agrees."

" I'll look for one too if Kai is. I mean, what harm can it do?"

" Well..."

" Please, Kai?"

" ... Oh, alright. I'll look for one."

Aichi smiled.

" So it's settled then. We'll be looking for their first Pokemon along our journey too."

" Yeah! We need to get supplies from the next town too, don't we?"

" Yeah."

" Don't get too excited now, Aichi."

" I won't."

" Hey, can I see the supplies you guys got? It's my turn to put my own cooking to the test."

" You can cook too, Chrono?"

" Yeah! Just leave dinner to me! This is thanks for taking care of him for us!"

" It's not a problem, really."

" Don't worry about it! Just leave everything to me!"

Chrono took over making dinner while the others chatted. Once they all ate their dinner and cleaned up, they went to sleep in the tents for the night. Aichi was sleeping in his own tent with Kai.

" Kai?"

" Yeah?"

" Do you really think I can get my memories back?"

" Of course you can. You won't know if you don't try."

" But..."

" Trust me, Aichi. I'll always believe in you. I'll tell you lots and lots of stories about your memories if you want to."

" Can you tell me one now?"

" Sure. Which one do you want?"

" Uh... Can you tell me how we first met?"

" Well... Where should I start? We first met when we were very young. It was in front of a park. You were all beaten up by bullies when I saw you. Then after that, I decided to give you a card with a strong warrior on it. It's called Blaster Blade."

" Blaster Blade..."

" And after I gave it to you, I told you to imagine yourself just like how he is. You've cherished the card since then, even after I moved away."

" Do you have the card now?"

" Unfortunately not. Void sealed Blaster Blade somewhere because he knew seeing Blaster Blade will trigger your memories. Now the card is nothing but a blank card. But don't worry... Our friends back home will find him and once they do, I'll make sure to introduce you to him again."

" Yeah. Sounds good."

" But I have to ask. What made you so sure I was the real one and Void was a fake?"

" Because you encouraged me and I felt waves of emotions I never felt for the fake rushing over me... If your mind forgets, your body remembers. That's how I knew you were the one I was looking for."

" Thank you for believing in me, Aichi."

" You too, Kai. I hope I can get my memories back soon."

" Me too, Aichi."

It was silence as they embraced each other for a few moments. Kai checked on Aichi to see him asleep as he smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

" Good night, Aichi. I love you."

Kai tightened his grip a little before falling asleep as well. Aichi smiled in his sleep after that.

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter! Thank you for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll see everyone in the next chapter!


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